Daniel William McCarthy (born 1955, Onekama, Michigan) is an American composer, author, conductor, professor, and black belt martial artist.
McCarthy, a dedicated martial artist, achieved promoted to 3rd Degree Black Belt in Chun Ma Tae Kwon Do and Asian Weapons in May 2012.
He frequently wrote for soloists who played instruments previously neglected by composers such as the marimba, tuba, euphonium, viola, saxophone, and bassoon.
His musical language was eclectic, ranging from non-serial atonality to tertian and modal harmonies, frequently contrapuntal, and had a high degree of metric/rhythmic animation.
One of McCarthy’s early work is “Rimbasly” composed for the marimba and synthesizer, commissioned in 1989 by Michael Buritt of Eastman School of Music.
This period of creativity fostered McCarthy's general philosophy of anti-elitism in arts and culture and an aversion to academe; hence, the atypical combination of his occupation of composer and martial artist.
He originally wanted to be a symphony trumpet player, his teacher, John Lindenau criticized that McCarthy was very inconsistent and wouldn’t win an audition.